Drawing on the role of individuals, education and training providers and countries' social policy actions, and borrowing insights from psychology, sociology and economics, this book works towards an interdisciplinary theory of adult lifelong learning participation. It explores the fragmented evidence of why adults do or do not participate in adult lifelong learning activities and focuses on the relevance of policy, the social character and expected benefits of lifelong learning participation and discusses the potential implications for policy, practice and research.

Ellen Boeren is Chancellor's Fellow at the Moray House School of Education, University of Edinburgh, UK. She obtained her PhD at the University of Leuven (Belgium). Her research agenda mainly focuses on the participation of adults in lifelong learning. She is the Programme Director of the University of Edinburgh's Master in Educational Research.

Introduction

PART I: BACKGROUND

1. Adult Lifelong Learning Participation Definitions and Contexts

2. Trends and Barriers in Adult Lifelong Learning Participation

PART II: THE CONTRIBUTION OF DISCIPLINES TO AN INTERDISCIPLINARY THEORY

3. Lifelong Learning Participation The Behavioural Perspective

4. Lifelong Learning Participation The Micro Sociological Perspective

5. Lifelong Learning Participation Institutional Barriers

6. Lifelong Learning Participation Country Level Determinants

7. Lifelong Learning Participation The Need for Integration

PART III ADVANCING RESEARCH AND PRACTICE

8. Measuring Adult Lifelong Learning Participation

9. Implications for Policy, Practice and Research